Day 28: I guess that's why they call it Asylum

G'day all! Today was a little less exciting than a typical day down under here with the Auburn crowd. We visited UniTec Polytechnical College right outside of Auckland. We met with several architects and the dean of the college, who specialized in construction management. They were very interesting but I felt like I was getting sleepy towards the end of our two and a half hour meeting. Must be the 4 and a half week slump. The highlight of the university visit would have to be the sustainability professor that came and spoke to us for the last few minutes. He teaches in New Zealand but mainly designs and builds in the US and what he said was a breath of fresh air for the Environmental Design folks. He encouraged us and let the students know that green building doesn't necessarily have to do with following a checklist like LEED certification does, but it comes with a mindset of choosing to make a building effective with its minimalist-style performance standards. After the meeting, we grabbed a quick sushi lunch and had a meeting with our professor concerning our research project for the trip. We have free time for the rest of the day, so I am going to enjoy it with a nap, a good meal, blogging (obviously), and an early bedtime hopefully. I need my rest because we're going to the Black Sand beaches of the West Coast tomorrow! War Eagle!

A preview of what's to come!